Hades was bored. This was often the case when surrounded by his fellow gods, as they tended to be rather loud and brash while he favoured a calmer demeanour.

The God of the Underworld sat on a throne of polished obsidian, which contrasted rather well with his pallid complexion. His ornate robes were in dark shades of purple and blue, while solid black eyes observed his boisterous relatives. Slender fingers drummed on the arm of the throne as he waited for today's party - a rodeo - to begin.

Hades walked slowly up to the mare, examining her. His aura of fear had no effect on her; he had to admit he was impressed. Upon noticing the marks of the beatings, he snorted in disgust.

"Brutes. To beat such a creature..."

His voice was cold and imperious, but his expression was at odds with the tone - interest, even admiration.

"I will make you a deal. I will break your chains and, for once, partake in the sport my bretheren so enjoy. If you can throw me, I will take you from here that you might not receive such treatment, but if I win, you must serve me. Do you accept?"

A hand is raised, and black mist coils around the shackles, ready to burst them apart.

The mare thinks slowly then she snorted and gave a nod "deal then lord Hades" said darkly ears flattened. Zeus and Ares snickered slightly at this. She wtched the chains shatter and shook herself off and was dragged to loading dock snorting deeply eyes glowing angrily. Her skin healed and eyes glow deeply eyes sizzled slowly. Nature around the mount seemed to scream and yell, the bird flew around the mare and she snorted and the bird flew away. The other horses whinned and reared up to the queen of the wild and bowed their heads.

Hades, gliding on a cloud of darkness, settles onto the mare's back. There will be no undignified clambering for the God of the Underworld. He loops his arms firmly around her neck, holding with all his godly strength. As he readies himself, tendrils of black mist loop around Alpha's belly, anchoring Hades far more securely than any of the others to make an attempt.

"Shall we begin?"

The mare was released and she galloped around like a whiz of shadows and bucked and kicked then she shifted intoa massive winged snake and spun around sharply as the shadows had to reconfigure to fit her body. The snake then divebombed down swiftly and shifted tiger and ran around snarling before turning into a massive wolf and kicked Hades off roughl;y and watched the god fumble to the ground> she blinekdas other ods laughed at him and roared deeply and the gods shut their mouths. She went to the god and blinked shifting human form and said "you held on longer then most"

The god chuckles, and rises gracefully to his feet.

"Perhaps, but your spirit proved far stronger than those under my command."

The black mist that surrounds him creeps sheepishly behind his robes at his words.

"I will honour my bargain without regret. Come."

He snaps his fingers and a portal of swirling darkness opens up, ready to take the pair to the Underworld. As Hades steps through, he makes a final comment, almost too softly to hear.

"And thank you for standing up to the oafs on my behalf."

The wolf blinked looking at the portal and nodded gently and shaking herself out she walked through the portal and eyes easily adjusted to the darkness of the world of the dead. She smirks as four hounds jumped around her wagging their whip like tails. She pets the hounds head "easy you four" said laughed the hounds howled and ran off into the shadows barking happily.

Hades smirks at the antics of the hellhounds.

"Fiery soul-hunting creatures they may be, but everyone forgets that they're as attention-seeking as any other dog."

A particularly large one trots up and butts its head against the god's leg, staring up at him. He laughs and scratches its ears, causing the hound to close its eyes in bliss and let out a deep rumble of contentment.

"What form do you prefer to take? I can accomodate most shapes."

"I do most forms depending on where I.am for here I would most likely" eyes glow as she shifted massive mare Pegasus of shadows and fire. She shook herself out slowly. He hears yelling and ears perked slightly listening to what they where arguing about. She shook her head her massive black and red wings glow.

"The stables, then. Follow me."

Hades leads her through the Underworld, and soon enough, the palace is in sight, a towering structure of glittering diamond and glowering obsidian. A garden grows next to it, pomegranate trees flourishing in the only patch of green to exist in the realm of the dead.

"Don't ever eat one of those pomegranates unless you want to be stuck here for all eternity."

Off to the side of the palace is a long, low building. Inside it, horses of all colours snort and bray. At the far end is a stall over three times the size of any other, and much better-appointed.

"This is the prime stall. It's all yours. You can also take your pick of the guest rooms in the palace if you feel like a change."

Alpha pokes her head inside the.stall snorting looking around before she hears a foal whinny for help. Turning her head watched a foal sprinting for them a stallion galloping after it. Alpha lunged over the goal and screamed a whinny and the stallion shreiked to a stop before her and eyes huge and galloped away fast as if she was a killer. She snorted and then looked at the foal that looked at her mouh dropped open in surprise. The horses stare at her and then started rearing up and whinny's happily stomping on their stall doors wanting to meet alpha. The mare snorted and leads the foal back to her mother stall and opens the lock easily with her jaws and lets the foal trot off to its mother that nuzzled her foal happy and looked at Alpha with thankful eyes. Alpha nodded and went off to her stall and flopped tiredly. She shook herself out and folded up her wings neatly and started to fall asleep, for the first time in forever there was a time the mare could rest easy.

Hades smiled as he watched, leaving soundlessly a moment later when Alpha lies down to rest. When she wakes up, there is food next to her and a skeleton standing nearby holding various bits of grooming equipment. There's a note in its ribcage:

I am unsure as to whether or not you need or want grooming, but the skeleton will provide it if you ask. I apologise if this is offensive to you, but I prefer to cover all the bases.

-H.

Alpha looked at the note and then back at the skeleton with dark eyes. She snorted and shook her head "i am afraid I do not require such grooming things" said slowly to the skelton and then unlatched the stall door and did the rest for the horses that galloped out to roam and be free. She shifted human form and sat down ona hill watching the horses, she closed her eyes and relaxed. She snapped then open when she hears cracking and turned her head seeing the ground crack slightly around her as Kronos voice erupted from the ground "ALPHA" he yowled angrily. Alpha who body shook and contorted into fear and winced backing away from the crack. The crack was sealed up and her eyes went huge and looked back at the horses to see them looking at her in fright. She close her eyes and clamed down and chuckled as the foal nibbled on her hair "ah no bad" she laughs.